02/16/2024
My answers to the candidate questionnaire from Preserve Our Hill Country Environment.
To all of you who have worked tirelessly to fight Vulcan Quarry, I applaud you. I will apologize in advance for my brief answers, as I just received this questionnaire on the 13th of February.
I would absolutely align myself with the other commissioners, in order to protect and preserve our natural resources. I would insist that we have regular meetings with one another, and the community in order to make some sort of headway. The residents of Comal County should be the only people that have a say in what is done in our community.
When it comes down to preserving the land in Comal County, it should be up to the voters and local authority to handle County business, not the Texas Legislature. They don’t live amongst us, and therefore will not be affected by what lies in the wake of Vulcan. I would not stop researching until I found out who possesses the authority to make these decisions, and what strict guidelines need to be met.
I am not yet familiar with A Primer on County Tools and Paths Forward, but I soon will be.
I would definitely be in favor of asking the board to take more proactive measures. I personally know members of this community that have lived for days with a dry well, and no water in sight. This has been a frequent problem that will only worsen, if something is not done to rectify the situation.
I will, without question, work with state elected officials to make sure that water demand never exceeds water availability.
I unequivocally would ask for a public meeting on behalf of my constituents and Comal County. A public meeting wouldn’t be enough, in my opinion. We need to knock on doors with literature in hand, protest in numbers too massive to ignore, and let the people of Comal County know what kind of life is ahead of us, if we don’t band together and put an end to Vulcan.
I would push for protection of private property at the state and federal level. I would ensure that existing laws are followed, that protect landowners, while protesting any attempts to take private property that isn’t for the public good, or claiming land unfairly.
I should represent Comal County as Commissioner, because I have integrity, and will stand up for what is right. I’m in this to make a difference, and want to be a part of preserving our little slice of heaven. This is our home, our community, and it’s damn sure worth fighting for.
Respectfully,
Julie Sanders